No one loved being a doctor more than Gerald Barnes. The white coat, the stethoscope, the diplomas on the wall, the income, the esteem, the trust — it was his life's calling and he reveled in it. Over the years, he worked at community clinics treating poor patients, and he flew volunteer medical missions to Mexico. He even worked as the lead physician at a well-regarded Los Angeles clinic performing employment exams on FBI agents, employees of the Federal Reserve Bank, and other major corporations. There was just one problem: Barnes wasn't a real medical doctor. The con man with the gentle bedside manner masqueraded as a physician in California for upward of 20 years, falsifying the credentials of a San Francisco pharmacist and taking on the identity of a Stockton orthopedic surgeon. In committing what's been called one of the most remarkable frauds in modern medical history, Barnes, whose real name is Gerald Garnbaum, was sent to prison five times, convicted of illegally practicing medicine, mail fraud, grand theft — even involuntary manslaughter — but each time after being paroled, he resumed his sham. Embarrassed by the flaws Barnes exposed in a system designed to protect the public, the Medical Board of California implemented stricter controls in credential checks and issuing duplicate documents. There are few crimes as dangerous as impersonating a doctor, and Barnes jeopardized the health and safety of every patient he treated. Barnbaum's case was profiled on several television series, including Masterminds, American Greed, and Who the (Bleep).... He died in prison on June 15, 2018 at the age of 84. The real Dr. Barnes (above left) spent several years repairing his credit and his reputation as a result of Barnbaum's fraudulent activities.
